It seems that Jorge Masvidal has never taken his eyes off of Leon Edwards.
Masvidal hung up his MMA gloves in April 2023 after falling short against Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. However, the former BMF champion has never truly closed the door on his fighting career, frequently hinting at a comeback and actively working toward a UFC return.
During a recent interview with Submission Radio, "Gamebred" weighed in on a potential comeback, name-dropping Edwards as the ideal opponent. He emphasized that a victory over the former UFC welterweight champion could pave the way for his third and possibly final shot at gold.
If the UFC wants to make this happen, give me the Leon fight, and then after that, I’ll fight whoever has that damn belt," Jorge Masvidal said. "I know Dana [White] is probably going to see this.
Masvidal doubled down on his confidence, claiming that he holds a clear skill advantage over "Rocky," which he believes would be enough to hand Edwards a defeat.
I know for one thing, he can’t wrestle me for five rounds. So, I don’t have to worry about the takedowns, and I know on the feet, he’s fragile compared to me. The opponents we’ve faced, what he’s been able to do to them, what I’ve been able to do to them for the most part, besides [Kamaru] Usman, I’ve been able to put a lot of guys away that he fought and went to decision with. The way he takes shots and the way I take shots, he’s just fragile compared to me, and if we get in that cage, I’m willing to prove how fragile he is compared to me.
Masvidal and Edwards have a long-standing rivalry that traces back to March 2019, when the American ignited their feud by attacking "Rocky" backstage at UFC London. The two were set to settle their differences inside the Octagon at UFC 269 in December 2021, but the fight never came to fruition as Masvidal was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Jorge Masvidal was last seen in action in July 2024, where he squared off against former UFC rival Nate Diaz in a professional boxing match. Despite a hard-fought battle, "Gamebred" fell short, losing via a close majority decision.
Masvidal's final run in the UFC before retiring was far from stellar, as he managed just three wins in his last nine trips to the Octagon. His rough stretch included two failed attempts at capturing the 170-pound title against Kamaru Usman.
Meanwhile, Edwards is arguably experiencing the toughest stretch of his career, suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time. After losing his welterweight title to Belal Muhammad at UFC 304, the Jamaican-born Brit looked to rebound at UFC London last weekend. However, his return went from bad to worse as Sean Brady outclassed him before securing a fourth-round submission.